Klass.-Nr./Class. No.

8M A0 0 January 2006

Norm vor Anwendung auf Aktualität prüfen / Check standard for current issue prior to usage.
Design Guideline
KR
Maintainability Design
of Vehicles, Modules, Sub-Assemblies and Components 000 20
In case of discrepancies the German version shall govern.

Konzernnorm
The English translation is believed to be accurate.

Descriptors: design guideline, maintenance, servicing, inspection, repair

Preface
Maintenance and insurance costs make a significant contribution to the overall cost of a vehicle,
and therefore have a long-term effect on the sales success and resale value.

Changes
The following changes have been made as compared to Design Guideline KR 000 20, 1999-03:
─ Footer: Responsibility changed
─ Section 3.1: "Service Specifications Catalogue" changed to "service requirements manual
for each of the responsible departments Product Emergence Service/Product
Influence of the Group Brands".
─ Section 5: Referenced standards included

Previous issues
1999-03

1 Scope
This standard applies to the design and development of engineered products for the Volkswagen
Group.
Its purpose is to ensure that all engineered products are economical to maintain throughout
the lifetime of the vehicle, thus achieving a "best in class" position with regard to the cost
of maintenance and insurance.
As such, a maintenance concept shall be compiled at the start of product development, which shall
include documentation and proof of the maintainability of the product on the basis of this
Volkswagen standard, VDI Guideline 2246, and DIN 31051. Retrospective modifications to the
maintainability are generally ineffective, or are only achievable with high financial outlay.

2 Definitions
Maintenance
Actions relating to servicing, inspection, and repair of engineered devices within a system.
The terms servicing, inspection, and repair are defined, according to DIN 31051, as follows:
Servicing
Actions relating to the preservation of the desired condition of engineered devices within a system.
Inspection
Actions relating to the detection and evaluation of the actual condition of engineered devices within
a system.
Repair
Actions relating to the restoration of engineered devices within a system to their desired condition.
Form FE 41 - 01.05

Page 1 of 4
Fachverantwortung/Responsibility Normung/Standards (E2TC/4, 1733)
GQZ-8 J. Schneppe Tel: -26370 Bartels Tel: +49-5361-9-25644 Terlinden

Confidential. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be transmitted or reproduced without prior permission of a Standards Department of the Volkswagen Group.
Parties to a contract can only obtain this standard via the B2B supplier platform “www.vwgroupsupply.com”.

 VOLKSWAGEN AG
Page 2
KR 000 20: 2006-01

Maintenance strategy
Fundamental specification stating who will carry out which maintenance actions by what means
and at which point in time.
Maintenance concept
Specific maintenance actions for a particular engineered product, derived from the maintenance
strategy.
Proof of maintainability
Proof based on both practical investigations on the object (mule vehicle, prototypes) and theoretical
methods (CAD, Digital Mock Up, Finite Element Method).
Maintenance-free
Maintenance-free over a specified service life due to appropriate design provisions: maintenance-
free and does not require inspection due to the (e.g. redundant) design, actually never requires
repair due to a durable design.
Low maintenance
Only relatively minor servicing and inspection measures are required, at intervals acceptable to the
purchaser, to maintain proper functionality to a planned degree of reliability; this must correspond
to the greatest possible extent to the achievable state-of-the-art, and actually necessitate only
minor measures for carrying out repairs.
Maintenance-friendly
Measures are required for servicing, inspection, and repair in order to achieve the planned degree
of reliability; the purchaser shall have approved the resources necessary to implement these
measures.

3 Requirements

3.1 Requirements for maintainability

A maintenance strategy must be specified during the development of an engineered product.
The planned maintenance strategy must be documented.
The objective during development is to design components, assemblies, modules, and processes
according to the following priorities:
1. maintenance-free,
2. as a minimum low-maintenance, but if not feasible then,
3. maintenance-friendly.
Specific detailed explanations are incorporated in document VDI 2246. Detailed requirements for
certain components/modules are defined in the service requirements manual for each of the
responsible departments Product Emergence Service/Product Influence of the Group Brands.
Regulations for the integration into the product emergence process (PEP German abbreviation) are
given in the PEP Handbook of the Engineering Division.
These measures must be defined during product development and before production of the target
list, and must be carried over into further development.
Particular care is necessary when new methods or new materials are used. The department
responsible for service must approve new maintenance concepts.

3.2 Requirements for maintenance-free products

The term "maintenance-free" as applied to the engineered product "motor vehicle" additionally
includes the protection of the vehicle, the module, assemblies, and components against the effects
of unexpected forces and misuse. In order to keep the cost of insurance low, it is particularly
important that effective car body protection and protection against theft are provided.
 Page 3
KR 000 20: 2006-01

3.3 Requirements for low maintenance products

The term "low maintenance" as applied to the engineered product "motor vehicle" additionally
includes measures to keep damage from unexpected forces and misuse to a minimum, with the
help of predefined breaking points and "sacrificial parts".
3.4 Requirements for maintenance-friendly products
This includes the following criteria:

3.4.1 Identifiability/testability
Ensures fast and precise identification of the exchangeable components/assemblies (vehicle self-
diagnostics and good access to test and measurement points).

3.4.2 Accessibility and exchangeability

Ensures that components and assemblies for which it is intended that maintenance will be
performed, or for which experience shows that maintenance will be required during the service life,
are easy and safe to access and replace.
The need for additional tasks, e.g. removal of adjacent components, must be avoided. For reasons
of process assurance, joining elements that are processed mechanically must also be designed to
allow assembly and disassembly using manual means.

3.4.3 Serviceability
The fundamental aim is to avoid any need for servicing.
The openings for liquid operating and lubricating materials must be easily accessible and clearly
marked. An assured process for filling and emptying operating materials must be guaranteed
by the design.

3.4.4 Suitability for dismantling/recycling

It must be possible to dismantle assemblies and modules to the greatest possible extent. If it is not
possible to effect repairs using the existing individual parts that comprise a module, then repair
solutions must be developed in cooperation with the After-Sales Service department. Drawings
must be produced for all parts that deviate from standard production types.
It must be ensured that any exchange parts are suitable for reconditioning.

3.4.5 Standardization
The part proliferation in the spare part supply system shall be kept to a low level, taking into
consideration the suitability of the product for dismantling; this is for reasons of spare part
availability and reduction of storage and provisioning costs.

3.4.6 Shop equipment

The tools that are available in a commercial motor vehicle shop shall be taken into consideration
when preparing a maintenance-friendly design (after-sales service). If these tools are not adequate,
then it will be necessary to refer back to the existing special tools and operating equipment, taking
into account the service standards described in the "Service Organization" handbook.
In exceptional cases where this shop equipment is not sufficient, the new tools/operating
equipment must be included in the maintenance concept.
Page 4
KR 000 20: 2006-01

4 Testing/proof of maintainability
The maintenance concepts must be clearly demonstrated to be achievable by means
of maintainability investigations. In this respect, it is necessary that the maintainability
investigations be taken into account in the prototype flow chart.
The proof of maintainability must be documented.

5 Referenced standards 1)
DIN 31051 Fundamentals of Maintenance
VDI 2246 Sheet 1 Designing Maintainable Engineered Products – Basic Principles
VDI 2246 Sheet 2 Designing Maintainable Engineered Products – Requirements Catalog

1)
In this section terminological inconsistencies may occur as the original titles are used.